# Confiscated ?



## kanadakid (Jul 19, 2004)

Gents,

I want this post to be within the rules and didn't see any conflict with my question.

Although I have never even been confiscated. If it does happen, how will it happen ? Will UPS call you ? Will customs send you a letter ?

I was reading where some guys get a letter.

How should you respond ? What should you say ?
I did a search and couldn't find anything on this topic.

Thanks


Kid


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## Ivory Tower (Nov 18, 2005)

I've seen this in another thread. Other people have had this happen and explained it. I can't remember exactly what they said, but I believe that I letter is sent to you by the gov't. I also seem to remember that the general consensus was that the letter is simply ignored. Do not rely on this, though. Keep searching.


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## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

You get a letter.

Nothing happens.

It goes away.

You order more cigars.

End of story.


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## bonggoy (Mar 9, 2006)

ToddziLLa said:


> You get a letter.
> 
> Nothing happens.
> 
> ...


what he said ...


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

This isn't well known, but BATF and US. Customs Service raid your house at 9 PM, kicking in the door and wearing ski masks. 

It isn't well known because you will be jailed with no trial, incommunicado. They take over your computer and post "all I got was a 10-page letter, I ignored it". 

....what? .... what the hell are you doing here? ..... BUMP ..... crash! .......

I didn't post that just now ... er ... it was my dog .... you just get a letter .... ignore it ...


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## joed (Nov 12, 2005)

I have gotten a couple of letters - and one empty box sent on to me. I just ignored them like SeanGar advised. I think it's fairly random.


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## DonWeb (Jul 3, 2005)

SeanGAR said:


> This isn't well known, but BATF and US. Customs Service raid your house at 9 PM, kicking in the door and wearing ski masks.


the distraction - a call from a telemarketer - is at 9:00 pm. the door gets kicked in at 9:02.

but if you do get a letter, asking if you want to contest the confiscation, you prob'ly don't want to respond.


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## mr.c (Apr 8, 2004)

Funny thing is they send you to cuba -well gitmo. You dont think all those guys in gitmo are al queda .. do you ?


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## Gurkha (Oct 1, 2005)

mr.c said:


> Funny thing is they send you to cuba -well gitmo. You dont think all those guys in gitmo are al queda .. do you ?


I wonder if there are a bunch of happy soldiers smoking Cubans at Gitmo.


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## Manny (Jun 23, 2003)

You guys can have your Cuban Cigars...... I'm sure glad no one confiscates my Dominican El Dentes!!


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## poker (Dec 11, 1997)

You get a letter stating seizure.
See zip attachment from scan of one in 2001 I got instead of 3 boxes.

Although it is just a letter of seizure, that does not mean they cannot or will not pursue further at a later time. So dont think for one minute that its "just" a letter. They have everything they need, your name, address, etc. 

They know exactly whats going on. Play the game only if you're willing to pay the possible price.


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## ghostrider (Oct 30, 2005)

Gurkha said:


> I wonder if there are a bunch of happy soldiers smoking Cubans at Gitmo.


Don't ask, don't tell...


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## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

I'll whistle right past this thread...


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## 4WheelVFR (Jun 27, 2006)

The real question is Who is smoking all the confiscated Habanos? They get filed as "evidence" somewhere......:w


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## Sandman (Mar 26, 2006)

SeanGAR said:


> This isn't well known, but BATF and US. Customs Service raid your house at 9 PM, kicking in the door and wearing ski masks.
> 
> It isn't well known because you will be jailed with no trial, incommunicado. They take over your computer and post "all I got was a 10-page letter, I ignored it".
> 
> ...


Sorry, but i thought it was a firing squad.:hn


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## kanadakid (Jul 19, 2004)

Thanks,

This post was most helpful. I wonder how they flag these shipments since they are so small. 

I noticed on the scan of the customs letter they mention the value of the goods. I thought these were send as "No Declared Value" shipments.

Thanks,

Kid


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

kanadakid said:


> Gents,
> 
> How should you respond ? What should you say ?
> I did a search and couldn't find anything on this topic.
> ...


No offense intended, but you must not have looked very hard. If this really worries you, you should
A: stop smuggling
B: Look harder for the answer
C: PM somebody you know

This is sensitive information that is better handled in the background.
JMO


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

You just hope that nobody with political power gets a bee in their bonnet and starts going gung ho at embargo violators. I suppose it would make the cuban exile community in Miami very happy, so it is a possible political move to appease them and carry FL in a presidential election. After all, people who smoke cuban cigars in the US are law breakers., unless they have pre-embargo smokes, so the average joe isn't going to have much sympathy, especially since cigar smokers are a dirty, smelly lot.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

I wonder what happens to those of us who received letters if our relations with Cuba are 'normalized' some time in the future? If what is illegal today becomes legal tomorrow, was there still a 'crime' committed?


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Even though procuring Cuban cigars is against the law, I do not consider it a crime in the moral sense. If we all lived to the letter of the law, there would still be Segregation. We have to stand up to Congress and tell them we want to smoke or Habanos without the threat of persecution! 

Let your morality dictate what is right and wrong, not some stodgy old politicians still living the Nixon era…

This is a call to arms!


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## montecristo#2 (May 29, 2006)

Not that I really have much to say on this matter and of course I realize buying/importing/smoking/ (etc) post-embargo Cuban cigars in this country is illegal.

But I always wonder, which is worse, buying/smoking pot or Cuban cigars. One is an illegal drug while the other would be legal if it wasn't grown on an island south of miami (it is just tobacco). This is what I normally think about when I see a post like this, is it worse than smoking weed (and no I don't smoke it myself)?

I also compare it to gambling on the internet (sports or playing poker), which is also illegal in this country, however, I don't believe anyone has ever been prosecuted. I am also willing to bet (gambling on the internet again) more people in this country gamble on the internet than smoke ISOMs. Now, if you tried to arrange a sportsbook from within the US, you should and probably would get arrested. Similar to if you were trying to import large quantities of cigars for resale (profit) within the country.

Don't really know why I decided to write this post, going through a little mid-life crisis - trying to clear my thoughts.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable day.


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## audio1der (Mar 8, 2006)

Kanadakid, if you're from Canada, pm me. I may be able to shed light on this for you.


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## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

SeanGAR said:


> You just hope that nobody with political power gets a bee in their bonnet and starts going gung ho at embargo violators. I suppose it would make the cuban exile community in Miami very happy, so it is a possible political move to appease them and carry FL in a presidential election. After all, people who smoke cuban cigars in the US are law breakers., unless they have pre-embargo smokes, so the average joe isn't going to have much sympathy, especially since cigar smokers are a dirty, smelly lot.


A while ago somebody posted a related article (about a Chicago-area lawyer that got nailed for smuggling Cubans), and in the article it quoted an official from Customs who said that, for all their hate of Castro and the Communist regime, exile Cubans were among the worst offenders when it came to smuggling cigars.

Could well be...my father was gifted a couple of ISOMs before he died by a Cuban-exile Masonic brother. The one I remember seeing (a small Por Larranaga) looked precisely like what I've seen for sale on sites selling current production...I've no idea if it was pre-Castro or post.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

M1903A1 said:


> Could well be...my father was gifted a couple of ISOMs before he died by a Cuban-exile Masonic brother...


Uh, oh... be careful, or we Masons will be accused of conspiring to overthrow Castro, in addition to all the other conspiracies we're credited with.


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## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

Hammerhead said:


> Uh, oh... be careful, or we Masons will be accused of conspiring to overthrow Castro, in addition to all the other conspiracies we're credited with.


And just what's wrong with our running the world? I mean, SOMEBODY has to!!!!

Ironically, my father told me that the Masons were still allowed to exist in post-Revolution Cuba. I remember seeing a WSJ article on it over ten years ago.


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## sekoudog (Oct 20, 2005)

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.


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## kanadakid (Jul 19, 2004)

I was thinkind about this the other day and some of the comment posted. You know the best way to avoid.....and if you fully trust your source, is to remove the bands and re-box. Ship NDV and they should never be held up.

Kid


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## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

Not 100% sure if I'm right about this, but I believe I read in that same article (or somewhere else) that it's Customs policy to confiscate unbanded cigars as well as ISOMs.



kanadakid said:


> I was thinkind about this the other day and some of the comment posted. You know the best way to avoid.....and if you fully trust your source, is to remove the bands and re-box. Ship NDV and they should never be held up.
> 
> Kid


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## j6ppc (Jun 5, 2006)

M1903A1 said:


> Not 100% sure if I'm right about this, but I believe I read in that same article (or somewhere else) that it's Customs policy to confiscate unbanded cigars as well as ISOMs.


They can confiscate unbanded cigars if they "think" they are cuban - the burden to prove otherwise would be on the individual from whom they were confiscated.

Seriously- If they find a box or bundle of unbanded cigars in your luggage what is the chance those are just some random cheapo bundle you picked up on your trip rather than ISOMs?

I think most of us tend to bring back things we consider precious or hard to obtain @ home from our travels. Not just cigars of course - I brought back a suitcase full of Grappa from Italy one time - too hard to get the good stuff in the US.

I'd be very very leery of bringing ISOMs back in my luggage. Why?
Well... With the increased homeland security measures they do seem to have become more aggresive in checking incoming luggage. Also they like to search *me* almost every trip.

Finally the prospect of fines and the associated negative impact of violating the trading with the enemy act should they really choose to enforce it.

With the current political climate in the US one never knows....

Bests

Jon


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## drrgill (Jan 1, 2000)

Manny said:


> You guys can have your Cuban Cigars...... I'm sure glad no one confiscates my Dominican El Dentes!!


I prefer the *Nicaraguan El Dentes*...They have better Wrapers!!

Drrgill


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## Bobb (Jun 26, 2006)

This thread is the reason I only smoke Pinars. Did you know they are legal cuban cigars!!!


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## par (May 22, 2005)

Sounds like some fellow gorillas are exercing some civil disobidience. Hooray!

As for the bringing home cigars in luggage from trips... Aren't you bringing a empty box, lets say an Rocky Patel box or an Ashton box, to protect the poor unbanded cigars that you buy on your vacation? You don't want them to break in transport right?


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## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

Bobb said:


> This thread is the reason I only smoke Pinars. Did you know they are legal cuban cigars!!!


You can have them. I was less than impressed with the one I had.


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

M1903A1 said:


> You can have them. I was less than impressed with the one I had.


Obviously you didnt have the right one. Get a good one and going back becomes rather difffucult.


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## larryinlc (Oct 22, 2005)

As with any cigar, there can be a bad one in the box, even Cubans, but when they're good, they're something special. They have a natural flavor and aroma that doesn't taste artificial as some non Cubans seem to do. Sort of like Coke vs diet Coke, I guess.

Larry


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## D. Generate (Jul 1, 2004)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> No offense intended, but you must not have looked very hard. If this really worries you, you should
> A: stop smuggling
> B: Look harder for the answer
> C: PM somebody you know
> ...


:tpd:


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## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

larryinlc said:


> As with any cigar, there can be a bad one in the box, even Cubans, but when they're good, they're something special. They have a natural flavor and aroma that doesn't taste artificial as some non Cubans seem to do. Sort of like Coke vs diet Coke, I guess.
> 
> Larry


Oh, I coulda told ya that! :dr

Unfortunately, when I took my other Pinars back to where I got 'em, the guy I dealt with (not the one who sold 'em to me) had a dim view of them as well. He opined that they just use a single strip of their pre-Castro (if it really is that) leaf in each cigar, and also commented "who knows what quality it was to begin with". Compared to my experiences with recent ISOMs, I have to agree.


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## Thurm15 (Jan 28, 2005)

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/alerts/restricted/cuban_cigars.xml


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